Keg questions from a kegging noob
- Thread starter Josh Hughes
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A lot of the mini regs just flat out suck for leaks. I've got a couple of different ones and you basically have to tape every threaded joint or you'll more than likely have leaks.
Dunk the whole gas side of your operation in a bucket of water. Bar the regular lol
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I had a pesky leak recently, this is how I found it
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I had one for months that turned out to be right at the regulator, went through 2 or 3 20lb tanks before I found it. Was a very slow leak so it was plausible in my head that I was just going through that much. Now a 20lb tank lasts me at least 6 months.
Yup when I set up my keezer I did this with the whole gas side even stuck the regular in and all. I remember my low pressure guage was leaking at the fitting on regulator.
It's worth checking all the fittings when you get a new bit of kit. Your the end of the line remember no one else to blame then.
Will the beer go flat in the keg if there is a regulator issue? I made sure everything is tightened up. Works fine using the old regulator. Pour was great tonight so maybe I’m just worrying too much. I turned the regulator off when I was done pouring
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Yeah one way to test if it's your keg it's disconnect the gas and check if keg is still pressurised in morning.
To check reg disconnect keg put pressure into regulator buy pushing that gas cartridge in then turn off supply gas. If the regulator is leaking it'll read 0 try half hour or hour later and see if preassure has moved.
Holding 12 psi for about half an hour. I’m probably overthinking everything. It did pour well last night and the beer had good carbonation. Still think there is an issue with the disconnect but we’ll see. The new keg is carbing up well with no issues, it will be retro drink next weekend
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Knowing that I had a leak recently, I was turning the gas on and off with each pour, connecting an disconnecting the gas to the keg I drew beer from. I had 4 kegs on the go, so it was a PITA. All fixed now. Three kegs on the go, one more to add this coming week.
Once carbonated, I generally disconnect the gas from the keg. Beer stays carbonated. If I pour (more than a single glass perhaps) I'll repressurize. I only leave the keg on gas while actually carbonating.
Check for leaks: Spray soapy water on everything and look for bubbles. StarSan might be bubbly enough for that.
If the pressure leaks out, the beer will go flat, just like opening a bottle lets beer go flat. In such a case, just re-carbonate...
Check for leaks: Spray soapy water on everything and look for bubbles. StarSan might be bubbly enough for that.
If the pressure leaks out, the beer will go flat, just like opening a bottle lets beer go flat. In such a case, just re-carbonate...
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If there is a leak and the tank goes empty you will start offgassing slowly through the same leak so yes the beer can go flat.
The safe thing to do is turn the gas off at the shutoff when not using it but that's a hassle so I took the time to find and remove all my leaks. I have 8 kegs on gas so I have no real desire to fiddle with shutoffs.
The safe thing to do is turn the gas off at the shutoff when not using it but that's a hassle so I took the time to find and remove all my leaks. I have 8 kegs on gas so I have no real desire to fiddle with shutoffs.
Josh I hope it's okay if I revive your thread. It turns out that I have tons of questions!
How often does everyone disassemble and clean your quick disconnects? I assume I could go 5-10 brews without taking them apart, or is more of a every 6 months? Should I take apart the QD's every time I get an oil change in my car?
lol (I use full synthetic and don't drive often, don't @ me with oil change criticism )
Do I NEED a special deep socket for my posts or will a crescent wrench or plumber's wrench do the trick?
If I'm not pushing beer should I turn off the CO2? Does that help conserve the tank just in case a leak is present?
How often does everyone disassemble and clean your quick disconnects? I assume I could go 5-10 brews without taking them apart, or is more of a every 6 months? Should I take apart the QD's every time I get an oil change in my car?
lol (I use full synthetic and don't drive often, don't @ me with oil change criticism )Do I NEED a special deep socket for my posts or will a crescent wrench or plumber's wrench do the trick?
If I'm not pushing beer should I turn off the CO2? Does that help conserve the tank just in case a leak is present?
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A box wrench, a n adjustable wrench any will do. I leave serving pressure on until the beer is gone. I have 2 brews going most of the time with a 5lb tank. It lasts a decent amount of time. I clean the connects when I clean the lines. I don't know if this helps you any.
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What @Frankenbrewer said pretty much. Only thing I would say different is turning off the gas, beer gas has become a real problem over here and is getting worse; preserving gas in any way makes sense for us now and little leaks are tricky to find. I turn the gas off and check that the kegs are holding pressure often.
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I clean my liquid out disconnect after every brew. It takes about 30 seconds. The only thing I would say is that after a while the little gasket inside gets all bent out of shape so it's a good idea to have some spares lying around. They are cheap.Josh I hope it's okay if I revive your thread. It turns out that I have tons of questions!
How often does everyone disassemble and clean your quick disconnects? I assume I could go 5-10 brews without taking them apart, or is more of a every 6 months? Should I take apart the QD's every time I get an oil change in my car?
Do I NEED a special deep socket for my posts or will a crescent wrench or plumber's wrench do the trick?
If I'm not pushing beer should I turn off the CO2? Does that help conserve the tank just in case a leak is present?
Disconnect Washer Internal (CAP) - Keystone Homebrew Supply
I disassemble the quick disconnects after every single brew. Like @Megary said, it takes under a minute. Wash with soap and water, then reassemble.
Most keg ports are 7/8 of an inch but some are different. Figure out what size it is and buy a box wrench or combination wrench from the local auto parts store. You'll be happy you did. A crescent wrench is less desirable and a plumbers wrench will damage the posts.
I will mail you some spare gaskets, don't buy anything just yet. They're actually pretty cheap if you buy them in bulk and now I have what I consider a lifetime supply.
I leave carbonation pressure on all the time (usually 12-14 psi), and turn it down to serving pressure (3-4 psi) as needed. With a full keg, the pressure will drop very quickly but as the keg is less liquid and more gas, you can probably go longer without re-pressurizing. Try it both ways and you'll come to a definite conclusion. Nothing worse than flat beer.
Thanks!! That's awesome
